It’s no secret that San Francisco is a great place to visit—readers of Conde Nast Traveler voted it as the best U.S. city in their recent Readers’ Choice Awards for the 17^th consecutive time.

But there’s more to San Francisco than cable cars and sourdough bread.  Whether you’re visiting the city by the bay with your kids for the first time or the fifteenth, here are a few things you might have missed:

1.  Parrot-spotting on Telegraph Hill

The now-famous wild parrots of Telegraph Hill are not only unique, but also pretty easy to spot if you know where to look.  Trust me, if these red and green avian clowns are anywhere nearby, you can’t miss them.  Walk down the pedestrian-only Filbert Steps (just under Coit Tower) and keep your ears open. If you don’t find them there, try the park at Drumm and Clay. Unfortunately, it’s illegal to feed them anymore, but they’re still fun to watch.

2.  An Antique Arcade Machine Museum  

Before there were video games, there were mechanically operated musical instruments and arcade machines.  And the largest privately-owned collection, called the Musée Mechanique, is on Pier 45 in Fisherman’s Wharf.   Admission is free, but be prepared to drop lots of quarters into machines that dance the Can-Can, tell your future, and show you slide shows of old San Francisco.   

3.  Tea Tasting in Chinatown

To escape the hustle and bustle of Chinatown, step into one the many tea shops on Grant Avenue where even your kids can get in on the tea tasting fun.  Two of the best are Ten Ren’s Tea and Vital Tealeaf (both on Grant Street). Ask to try something sweet (lychee and hibiscus teas are both good bets), and make sure you have your camera ready.

4.  Souvenir shopping at the Japan Center

An enormous indoor mall comprising 3 buildings (connected by a plaza on one side, and a shop-filled over-the-street bridge on the other), Japantown is a great place to spend an afternoon souvenir shopping.  If your kids like Pokemon and Hello Kitty (among many other Japanese cartoon characters), you’ll have to pry them out of here with a crowbar.

Don’t miss Ichiban Kan Different Things, a store patterned after Japan’s 100 Yen shops. You can pick up kitchen utensils, beauty products, dry goods, stationary, and bento boxes, for unbelievably low prices.   

5.  A Playground with a view Huntington Park Playground

Show me a traveling parent and I show you a parent who is sick of hanging out in playgrounds on vacation.  I make an exception for Huntington Park playground which has lush lawns, comfy benches, a cable car line, and exquisite views.

If your child is afraid of dogs, this might not be the place for you as residents pay no mind to the posted leash law.  When you’re ready to leave, make a quick stop at the outdoor labyrinth (a maze you solve with your feet) across the street at Grace Cathedral.